What percent of Americans can drive a stick shift car? (Jeep, Suburban)

[moparknighthawk]

My first car was a 1975 Datsun B210 4 speed manual. I had to learn how to drive it. I never regretted it either. I have had more automatics than stick shift cars, but I still know how to drive one. In fact one of my cars is a stick. A 1994 Ford Ranger. I am so glad I know how to drive a stick.

[GregW]

I learned on an ancient MG-A without any functioning synchros in the 4 spd tranny. It was great training for the times the cluch would not realease. I can still drive a manual tranny even if I can go quicker on snow with an auto trans and left foot breaking.

[Coldjensens]

I my have mentioned this, but the males in our family prefer stick and the females prefer automating. "Prefer" is a weak word in both cases. Perhaps it should be more like "Almost refucse to drive anything else"

However many new cars the automatic outperform a human driving a manual. THe Ford Double clutch transmissions do this (but it is not know whether these will be maintenance disasters). Crysler has an automotaic the outperforms manuals as well, I think it is the new 8 speed auto, but I am not certain. Even with better economy and performance form autos, our male drivers still prefer stick. It keeps us more in tune with the car and makes driving a fun experience rather than a chore. Still, given the way tings are going, I expect manual transmissions to be essentially gone in ten years. Soon the answer to "who would put an automatic in a corvette" Will be "People who want to go faster or get better mileage"

[Jimrob1]

I've driven one for many years. I guess I prefer them. The vehicle I now drive Is 10 years old now. I bought it new and it will be last stick I buy though. Not that I have come to dislike the stick, its just not practical with all the stop and go driving I do where I currently live.

[npaladin2000]

I CAN drive a stick, but I have no real desire to. I see no reason to mess with a clutch pedal when there are DSGs and sport-oriented manumatics around. Even a CVT with a manual mode, if it's programmed right, can shift very quickly and sharply, probably better than I can do with a pedal, so I'm satisfied with that.

[mattywo85]

Stick shift was the first car I learned on when I was getting my license at 16. I enjoy it to this day but its gotta be on the right kinda car.

[Army_Guy]

I prefer stick as both of my cars right now are stick.

As for them putting an automatic in the Corvette, I see it as some people who can't drive stick for some reason, maybe a physical reason like a bum knee or something like that, and they shouldn't be excluded.

To me, stick is more fun to drive.

But the biggest setback I've seen from owning 2 cars that are stick is that if you have to trade cars with someone who can't drive stick, it just ain't gonna happen. I can't trade cars with my GF in case I have to run her car to the shop or something like that because she can't drive stick.

I'm a believer that stick is what should be taught starting out (unless you have a bum knee or something else that keeps you from driving stick) because I think it teaches you more awareness. If you're on a hill, it doesn't matter if you're driving an automatic. If you're driving a stick, what are you going to do?

[Chango]

Honestly I'm sick of the crazy look car salesmen give me when I ask for a manual tranny. I bought a Jeep a couple years ago and a Nissan hatchback last year and both took a virtual act of god to get them in stick. I'm glad I went through the hassle though.

[robertpolyglot]

I can drive one. We had a Toyota Celica in the family that had a stick. It was a lemon. The fuel delivery system could never be calibrated.

I tried to use it only around town, for short hauls. Then, I was going to road trip to Northern California with a friend. Well, that means including San Francisco. I had to take the Toyota. Holy s-hit. My first road trip into SF, and it's in a manual. Hills were handled with a combination of riding the clutch and pulling up/releasing the parking brake.

I've rented manuals in Europe. I don't like it. It's bad enough to read signs and ward off drivers who might sideswipe you, so I don't want to shift gears. The only mishap I had was one morning, returning a car to the airport on the island of Sardinia. There was a left turn down to a road that then went into the airport. With an approaching car, I turned left and it stalled. I quickly went into neutral and restarted, while that driver slowed down, too. I now get an automatic even when overseas.

Every single car I've personally owned (GM mid-sizes and one Camaro) has had an automatic. That's what I want.

[GoodSchoolols]

Love driving manual transmissions. I have owned stick shifts all my life, and aside from my wife's car (she can drive stick, just chooses not to) I only buy 5 or 6 speeds.